Newsletter - Bergen County Council of Churches

Volume I Issue 1 Newsletter Spring 2005 Edition

BCCC Helping Churches Help

A New Beginning ---

The Installation Service

On Sunday, January 30, 2005, Bergen County witnessed the new beginning of The Bergen County Council of Churches as the former President, Rev. Dr. Stephen T. Giordano, formally installed Rev. Gregory J. Jackson as the current President of the Council. Along with installing Rev. Jackson as President, Rev. Dr. Giordano also installed the new Board of Directors for the BCCC.

This ecumenical witness of prayer song and praise dance was hosted at the Second Reformed Church of Hackensack. With over 300 in attendance, it was a magnificent witness of Christian unity within Bergen County.

Coming together

is a beginning

Staying together

is progress

Working together

is success

This favorite quote of Rev. Jackson?s is one which emphases his vision for the future of the Bergen County Council of Churches, as the Council works to bring unity among the diverse denominations and cultures of the Christian Churches throughout the area.

As the diverse Christian community of Bergen County came together at the Installation Service, truly a new

beginning for unity was launched.

With this new beginning, the Council prays that the Christian Church community of Bergen County will stay and work together to make progress and to succeed in making a difference in the quality of life for the residents of Bergen County. Now as we look to the future of the Council, we reflect on the ideal of former President,

Rev. Dr. Giordano:

Working together we can make a difference.

Meet Our Officers and Board of Directors

Rev. Donald Pitches serves as the BCCC President. Rev. Pitches is the Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Carlstadt and actively serves his community.

An important dimension to the Board is the representation of lay persons. One such

lay person serving is Marilyn Burkart, Treasurer of the BCCC. Ms Burkart servers her church, Clinton Avenue Reformed Church of Bergenfield, as an Elder.

Chaplains of the Bergen County Chaplaincy Program attend the Board. Rev. Charles Singletary, Chaplain at The Bergen Regional Medical Center, serves as the Coordinator of the Chaplains.

In addition to these dedicated individuals, the Board consists of an additional members, representing a cross-section of denominations and cultures. These Board members include; Rev. Ray Germoso, Iglesia Casa del Alfarero of Hasbrouck Heights; Rev. Dwayne Leverrett, Rev. Peggy Neiderer, Holy Spirit Lutheran Church of Leonia; Rev. Donald Sheehan, Saint Matthew?s Roman Catholic Church of Ridgefield; Rev. Dr. W. Marcus Small, Ebenezer Baptist Church of Englewood; Rev. Roger Spencer, Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd of Glen Rock; Rev. Vernon Walton, Mount Calvary Baptist Church of Englewood; Rev. Jonathan Whitfiled, Trinity Baptist Church of Hackensack.

At present, the Board consists primarily of pastors and clergy. It is the hope of the Council that the lay members of the Christian Community will also find it in their calling to share Christian Witness by serving on the BCCC?s Board of Directors. If you would like information about serving on the Board, please call the Council staff at 201-384-7505 or by e-mail at bergenccc@hotmail.com .

Rev. Jackson wants to meet you

For the past several months, Rev. Jackson has been meeting with Clergy Associations throughout the County. He has visited with the clergy from Hackensack, Ridgewood

and Fair Lawn. Rev. Jackson would like to meet with your clergy group.

Please contact the office to schedule a date for Rev. Jackson to visit with you.

A Tradition in Bergen County Continues --- Easter Dawn Services

The Easter Dawn Service has been a tradition in Bergen County for as long as anyone can remember. Several years back, the traditions was in danger of ending. Due to lack of space at George Washington Memorial Park, the Easter Dawn Service could not be held there. Through the work of the Council, an alternate site was found, Van Saun Park. By 1999, the service grew from one site to numerous sites throughout the Bergen County area.

Easter Dawn Service is an Ecumenical Service sponsored by the Bergen County Council of Churches and several communities throughout the Bergen County area. All members of the community are warmly welcomed to share the miracle of Easter at the Easter Dawn Service held at the various locations listed.

The services are held at an early hour to insure that those in attendance will have ample time to return to their own congregation's Easter Services.

Easter Dawn Services

March 27, 2005

5 locations in the

Bergen County area

Church on the Green

First Reformed Church

42 Court Street Hackensack

time 6:30 AM

coordinator

Rev. Fred VanderMeer

201-342-7050

United Water Company

Old Hook Road

Time 6:30 AM

coordinator

Rev. George Kaden

201-768-2457

On the Cliffs

Adjacent to St. Peter?s College

Time 6:30 AM

coordinator

Rev. Martha Grace

201-568-3370

Cooper?s Pond

Bergenfield

Time 6:30 AM

coordinator

Rev. Msgr.

Richard Arnhols

201-384-0101

Darlington Park

Mahwah

Time 5:30 AM

coordinator

Bill Kohout

201-445-3147

The Easter Dawn Service is a wonderful opportunity to

begin your Easter Day in an inspiring way!

A 50 Year Ecumenical Witness in Bergen County +++ 1954 to 2004

A look back at the Council?s History and its Accomplishments

The Bergen County Council of Churches was formed in 1953, and in 1954 it was formally established and incorporated. The Council of Churches was formed as part of a moving of the Holy Spirit within the Christian Church, which expressed itself in a renewed dedication to the goal of Christian Unity. Unlike the State, National and World Council of Churches, the Bergen County Council of Churches is not a council of denominations. Rather, it is a council of and for local Christian congregations, who minister in Bergen County.

Throughout our history, we have sought to provide means of cooperation between Bergen County's Churches to provide a Christian Witness here in our county. Whether

that witness was in providing an Ecumenical Easter Dawn Service, or providing a chaplain at the Bergen County Jail, or helping to start the Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless, the point has always been this?.

__________________

By working together, our local Churches can enhance their ministry, by providing a united witness here in Bergen County.

__________________

Highlights of some of the Achievements of the BCCC? 50 year history. . .

. . .The County's financial crisis causes the end of the traditional Bergen County Chaplaincy Program. The Council of Churches intervenes, and advocates successfully for the current Pastoral Care Program.

. . .The population of homeless individuals and families grows beyond the County?s ability to respond. The County reaches out to the BCCC and other religious communities to provide resources. The Council and other partners worked together to begin the ministry of the Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless.

. . .A Korean Church Service is disrupted, and the Council is asked to mediate. The Council successfully mediated the resulting tension within the Church and community. As a result of this one incident, The Council

formed a Human Relations Task Force, which helped in the formation of the Bergen County Human Relations Council.

. . .A growing diversity within Bergen County?s religious and cultural communities is noted. The Council helps to form the Interfaith Brotherhood and Sisterhood Committee, The Human Relations Coalition and Commission, and the Pastors? Multicultural Forum. These groups work to promote a greater sense of harmony with our growing diversity.

Additional avenues that the BCCC has impacted:

The Center for Action; CRC Information and Referral Service; Habitat for Humanity; Commission on Missing and Abused Children; Bergen

County Traumatic Loss Coalition; Coordinated Relief for Local Flood Victims; Offered counseling and support for the families who suffered losses due to the September 11, 2001 Tragedy.

Over the past fifty years, our world has gone through many changes, but the theme and purpose of the BCCC has remained steadfast:

The Bergen County Council of Churches is an

Ecumenical Cluster of Christian Churches throughout

Bergen County that exists to provide a means of cooperation among

the faith traditions of the County.

It is with this unchanging theme and purpose that the Bergen County Council of Churches looks to the future to expand its dedication and value to the community of Bergen County by empowering the ministry of the Church

2005 -- The Vision for the Future

At the Installation Service, BCCC President Rev. Jackson gave a Vision for the Council?s Future. By means of this newsletter, Info-Line and our web site, it is the goal of the Council to be the information center for the Christian community of Bergen County. To enhance the communication, the Council will make use of the internet technology. Through the use of e-mail, the Council has developed a communication called Info-Line, a means by which up to the minute notices of events and concerns of our community can be circulated to the Church Community. To be a part of this communication, notify the BCCC staff of your e-mail address. The second step to boost communication between the Council and individual Churches is to have a representative from each congregation to act as a liaison between their Church and the BCCC.

A major goal for the BCCC is to answer the question for pastors and congregations:

What?s in it for me and my congregation?

The Council hopes to offer programs that will enrich the ministry of every pastor in the county. In the planning stages, is a program to enhance the computer knowledge of both pastors and church secretaries. Courses, taught by a professional in a computer lab, on the extensive use of computer programs such as: Word, Excel, Publisher and Power Point are hoped to be offered. This is all being done in an effort to broaden the work level of church staff and to help clergy make better use of computer technology to support their ministry.

By coming together in prayer, at workshops and sharing times of fellowship, it is hoped to bring about understanding and friendship among the divers denominations and cultures of the Bergen County church community. It is a vision to be a cluster of believers that focus more on our commonalities than or differences.

The many goals of the BCCC?s vision for its future are being formulated into commissions that will be headed by a board member. It is desired to have clergy and lay persons from various congregations to work on these commissions.

At present, four commissions are being formulated: Commission on Human Services, chaired by Gloria Layne; Commission on Pastoral Care and Public Institutions, chaired by Rev. Dr. W. Marcus Small; Commission on Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, chaired by Rev. Lynne Bleich Weber; and the Commission on Ministerial Empowerment, chaired by Rev. Rae Brown.

As these commissions take form, information will appear on the BCCC web site, in our Info-Line, which is an e-mail newsletter and up-to-the minute information, and future editions of this newsletter.

If you feel called to work on any of these commissions with the Council, you are invited to get in touch with the BCCC staff at 201-384-7505 or bergenccc@hotmail.com.

The Bergen County Council of Churches?

vision and goal for the future is

to bring the

Christian Churches of Bergen County together and

to empower these Churches to do what they do better.

A Vision Taking Form?Blood & Bread---The Commission on Human Services

As the BCCC Board of Directors met for one of its monthly Board Meetings, a work session took place and four commissions were formed. One of these commissions is The Commission on Human Services. The commission, chaired by Gloria Layne, will focus on one of Rev. Jackson?s goals to serve the community. With over 350 Christian Churches in the Bergen County area, Rev. Jackson strongly feels that the food pantries of our County should never be empty. One of the major projects of the Commission on Human Services is to develop a plan where by the Center for Food Action Pantry will never be empty. One approach under consideration is having the Church community rotate hosting a food drive for their town. This will keep a constant source of food items flowing to the Center for Food.

A second project goal is to keep the blood supply full and thus eliminate blood crisis in our County. By working with the Bergen Community Regional Blood Center, a plan will be developed to have on going blood drives at various Church locations throughout the region.

This project of Rev. Jackson?s and the Commission on Human Services is called:

Blood and Bread As stated throughout this newsletter, by working together, as a Christian Community, we can make this happen. Details will follow--check our web site and Info-Line.

Helping those in need?The BCCC extends a supportive hand in time of tragedy and disaster through prayer and financial aid

In recent history, our world has faced several tragedies and disasters. Locally, in 1999, our own Bergen County area was faced with major flood and damage from Hurricane Floyd. During this time of crisis in Bergen County, the BCCC partnered with the Church World Services and other agencies to establish an ?Unmet Needs Committee?. This Committee responded to requests for aid after the Red Cross, FEMA, United Way and other agencies completed their work. Churches of our area made donations to this flood relief fund and together we made a difference in Bergen County during the flood crisis of 1999.

Then on September 11, 2001, the unthinkable happened?our nation was attacked. Once again Bergen County

was faced with a tragedy in its own area that was beyond our comprehension?The World Trade Center Towers were gone and so many lives were lost and families altered for ever. Prayer was the first line of support offered by the BCCC on both a local and county level. Through its newsletter, the BCCC asked for donations of food for the Center for Action; helped the Bergen Community Regional Blood Center spread the word for the need of blood donations; and established a fund to help the families of victims cope with their immediate monetary needs. The BCCC Annual Dinner that year was dedicated to the 9-11 Tragedy and the families received the funds made available through the donations of our Churches? congregations. Through the efforts of the Bergen

County Mental Health Hotline, and the personal efforts of Rev. Dr. Stephen Giordano, the BCCC President at the time, counseling and comforting support was extended to the families of the victims.

Most recently, under the leadership of Rev. Jackson, the BCCC has responded to the Hurricanes of this past year by the establishing a BCCC Flood Relief Fund 2004. This fund aided the victims of the devastating hurricanes that hit Florida, Jamaica and other regions of the Caribbean. The funds that were received, totaling over $18,000 were distributed to the Church World Services and Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention.

On December 26, 2004, the world was faced with death and destruction like it has never seen before, when a massive earthquake and tsunami wiped out the west coast of northern Sumatra. The response to this enormous tragedy has come from all parts of the world. The BCCC has established a fund to help these victims. It will turn the funds over to the Church World Services, for their Tsunami Recovery Program in Indonesia. The rebuilding will be an on going effort for a long time to come. The CWS will collect funds for a two year period, as will the BCCC. To date, $10,000 has been collected. If you wish to donate, make check payable to the Bergen County Council of Churches and mark the memo: Tsunami.

It takes a long time to rebuild a life that has been destroyed in a short time

by tragedy and disaster. Through our joint response of prayer and financial aid,

we extend a helping hand.

What has happened to the Interfaith Breakfast ? ? It is alive and well! and It is a Brunch on April 10^th !

Twenty years ago, two young pastors to Bergen County, Rev. Gregory Jackson and Rev. Stephen Giordano, joined forces to assist in the organization of an Interfaith Breakfast. This event led to the formation of the Interfaith Brotherhood and Sisterhood Committee. Almost 20 years later, this Committee and the Interfaith Breakfast, which now has become a brunch, are still going strong.

Under the leadership of the BCCC, the membership of the Interfaith Committee has expanded to include a wide range of faith groups: various denominations of the Protestant sector, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Islam, Bahi?I, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Jain. Under the direction and encouragement of the Council leadership, several Interfaith Educational Series

have been held in an effort to create better

understanding of each others beliefs and traditions. It has become a common site to see a group of Interfaith Religious Leaders praying together on the steps of the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack. The leadership of the Council has been a motivator behind these and other such gatherings.

Yes, the Interfaith Breakfast is alive and well, though its time has changed from a breakfast to a brunch, and from Presidents? Day in cold snowy February to, hopefully, a more weather friendly April.

Through the years the face of this much anticipated interfaith gathering has changed, but its embracing message of understanding and respect between various religious communities remains untouched.

Nineteenth Annual Interfaith Brotherhood-Sisterhood Brunch

Sunday?April 10, 2005 at 12:30 pm

at the Hilton in Hasbrouck Heights

650 Terrace Avenue, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 201-288-5100

Guest Speaker Sat Jivan Singh Khalsa, J.D.

Theme The Challenges to Faith and Interfaith Dialogue in the 21^st Century

SPONSORED BY

SIKH COMMUNITY, THIS YEAR?S HOST

BAHA?I COMMUNITY

HINDU COMMUNITY

JAIN COMMUNITY

JEWISH COMMUNITY

MUSLIM COMMUNITY

PROTESTANT COMMUNITY

ROMAN CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

Cost is $25.OO per person paid reservations required by april 5, 2005

For information on how to reserve through each faith community,

please contact one of the following:

Baha'i Community 201-837-3638

Hindu Community 201-866-0091

Jain Community 201-967-9344

Jewish Community 201-488-6800

Muslim Community 201-692-7730

Protestant Community(BCCC Office) 201-384-7505

Roman Catholic Community 201-945-3500

Sikh Community 973-345-3032

Make Check Payble to the Faith Community you purchase your tickets through.

Meet the Guest Speaker

Sat Jivan Singh Khalsa, J.D., an active and outspoken advocate for human rights and a treasurer of the UN Non-Governmental Organization Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, Khalsa, has long focused on understanding the issues of importance to interfaith dialogue.

Bergen County C

National Day of Prayer

All are Welcome to attend this

Interfaith Witness of Prayer and Unity

The Annual National Day of Prayer

Thursday---May 5, 2005

12:30 to 1:30 PM

Bergen County Courthouse Steps

Court Street in Hackensack

Choir members from Holy Family School in Norwood and

Holy Trinity School in Hackensack will sing during the program.